dinohouse | [Mushverse; Open to ALL]

It had been a while since the RPM Rangers' arrival in Japan and Dillon still didn't have a clue what they were looking for. He knew Ziggy didn't either, despite his claiming otherwise, and he didn't believe anything Scott claimed to know on the matter. Flynn, Tenaya and the twins seemed more open about not having a clue, like him, or they were just better at hiding it. Whatever Dr K had sent them for, they hadn't found it yet.

Ditching the other Rangers, Dillon decided to strike out on his own for awhile. While he was much more used to being around friends now, he still relished being on his own on occasion. It was the lone wolf in him.

And it was because he was alone that he noticed the man having trouble talking to a local. The man was clearly not from here, being as tall if not taller then Dillon, and had the looks of an American poster boy. The uniform was not something he recognized but reminded him vaguely of the military who ran Corinth. It seemed like the man had a device that was supposed to act like a translator but it didn't seem to be helping him much.

Dillon waffled for a moment before giving a sigh and heading over. He might as well save the local the hassle of dealing with this guy. "Can I help you?" He asked the local in Japanese before turning a skeptical look to the annoyed looking Westerner. "You lost?" He asked, much less politely. SPD, said the other man's uniform, now that Dillon could see it up close. Yep, definitely not from around here.

[Simon wanted Dillon, and more Ranger action in Mushverse in general, so have Dillon with bonus Sky! Flynn can be around too, as I think those are the only three of mine introduced so far.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

handstandsfortruth

"Uh-huh." Bridge takes a step back to get a good look at him, and tries to imagine him not fighting Sky over something stupid and inconsequential. No good. "Sure. But, um, yeah, hey, thanks for looking out for him." He reaches out to grab Sky's arm and tug on it, grinning widely. No big deal, please, Sky, don't make a big deal over the fact that I'm here.

Well, that's probably the best he's gonna get from Sky, anyway. "Oh, you know, seeing the sights."

From:

spd_blue

Dillon watched the green guy pull blue away and just rolled his eyes. He didn't honestly care what was going on or that green obviously though he wanted a fight (he wouldn't be the first), as long as blue stopped harassing locals. So he just waved them off and kept talking to the local about the area and maybe try and get led on why they were here.

Normally, Sky wouldn't have let the attitude of the man in the leather jacket go but Bridge's sudden appearance had thrown him off. Thrown off to the point that he actually let Bridge drag him away.

But once they were a ways away, he pulled his arm out of the other's grasp. "Did Crugar send you?" Sky asked incredulously, not believing the line about seeing the sights for a moment. Bridge had followed him and Sky wanted to know why.

From:

handstandsfortruth

"Sky..." Once they're relatively alone, or as alone as they're gonna get on the streets this way, Bridge can actually say what was on his mind that wouldn't set off that big guy in the black jacket. Which mostly boils down to 'Sky, don't freak out.' "Don't freak out."

He pauses and turns to face Sky. Sky is awfully tall, no wonder he doesn't get along with a lot of the natives. They seem to have landed in a city with a below average median height for the area. Sky, half a head taller than almost everyone, with blue eyes and blond hair to boot, he might as well be a parody of himself.

"Okay, so maybe I'm on a little mission, me and Jack, you know, the mission being, maybe, Sky needs back-up because he went to Japan by himself even though he doesn't speak Japanese and he knows as well as anyone that technology is notoriously iffy when it comes to the nuances of language and it's possible Sky, or rather, Cadet Tate, or is it Officer Tate? Doesn't actually know what he's looking for but he's not going to make any progress, especially since he only accepted the post because he's trying to not talk to his best friend for his whole life." He pauses there, nearly breathless, and frowns petulantly up at Sky. "I'm the best friend, by the way."

From:

spd_blue

The 'Sky, don't freak out' only made Sky narrow his eyes at Bridge and he clenched his jaw to keep from lashing out and doing exactly that. Plus, he knew better then to interrupt mid Bridge's train of thought, as then the green ranger would forget where he was and they'd have to start all over again.

And he'd been handling himself just fine thanks. Until the translator stopped working. No matter how hard he tried to study Japanese, it still sounded like an alien language to him.

Jack was here too? Could this get any worse? But he believed completely the two of them had decided to follow him and, if he was honest with himself, would have been a little disappointed if they hadn't. Not that he was going to admit it to them. Ever.

The officer bit caused a new flare of indignation but it burned out before Bridge was finished. Especially because Bridge was right. "I know you're my best friend." Sky said with a heavy sigh, that sounded a bit harassed. "I figured it would be easier for everyone if I got out of SPD for a while. This mission was the best way to do that."

Edited Date: 2012-09-20 11:43 pm (UTC)

From:

handstandsfortruth

Sky's pretty close to freaking out despite Bridge's insistence to the opposite, Bridge can tell because Sky's gone all red around the ears and across the bridge of his nose. He crosses his arms and waits for Sky's initial reaction before wheeling off again.

"Easier for everyone, Sky, or just for you? Because, you know, I'm pretty sure no on else was having a problem that needed easing? And technically taking a mission like this isn't getting out of SPD, it's just, you know, leaving home without any warning which is kind of a mean thing to do. So, yeah, I was worried about you. And you can't just take missions like this for yourself. We're a team, Sky."

From:

spd_blue

"Well, maybe I needed some time to myself!" Sky said, finally giving into the urge to raise his voice. "I needed to not be around people who I'd been forced to tell things to that I didn't want them to know!"

He paused and took a deep breath, calming himself down. "I just needed some space Bridge and this was the best way I could figure out how to do it. For what it's worth...I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. I didn't mean to make you worry." But he wasn't going to apologize for taking the mission.

From:

handstandsfortruth

"Oh." Bridge shrinks down a bit, a bit pathetic really. He's not usually cowed like this, but Sky's opinion means more to him than pretty much anyone else in the world, and unlike Sky, he's not shy to admit it.

"So, being honest with me when we've known each other forever and you've been on the receiving end of my aura reading going haywire more times that I like to even think about, that's some terrible thing now?" He's not usually so catty, but Sky's words hurt a bit. He thought Sky's spontaneous looseness had been a bit of a blessing in disguise, until Sky disappeared off to Japan shortly after it wore off.

From:

spd_blue

"That's different, Bridge, and you know it." Sky replied with another sad sigh, unable too keep his anger in the face of an unhappy Bridge. It was one of his few weaknesses.

But the fact remained that Sky was used to keeping his emotions and thoughts in check around an out of control Bridge. When it was Sky who was out of control... It scared the blue ranger. The less he let people know about his true feelings, the less it would hurt when they eventually left him, not to mention that they were just a distraction from his goal of being the perfect ranger. This... This was just the way things had to be. And it was why Sky did not know how to handle Bridge, and Jack, knowing his true feelings about them.

From:

handstandsfortruth

"Sky." Bridge takes a few breaths to try and make sure he doesn't start rambling off again. When he rambles, he knows damn well Sky tunes him out. He needs to try and be concise right now, since that's what will best get through to Sky. He has to talk to him on his level.

"Don't you remember anything about what we talked about?" He asks finally. "I know you're scared, okay, about a lot of things. And I get scared sometimes, too, you know. But I'm not going anywhere. You're my best friend. You know me better than anyone. You put up with me better than anyone."

From:

spd_blue

Sky listens to more of Bridge's rambles then he thinks he does. When it's important. But he still appreciates the effort to be concise, especially considering the conversation.

"It's never been about putting up with you." Sky restated, if anything because it was the safest topic in this conversation so far. "We're best friends. We're supposed to look out for each other." Best friends. That's all they were. It was all Sky could let them be, for his own sanity, no matter what he might want in regards to something more.

From:

handstandsfortruth

"Yeah, right." Bridge scoffs. He's aware that any relationship with him is a matter of balance between telling him to shut up and just dealing with him. He's not ashamed, it's not something he can help, it's just the way he is. Just the way he's always been.

Always hearing and feeling everyone around you to some degree has a tendency to make one a bit eccentric, after all. And his eccentricity is what makes him who he is.

"That's what I'm doing here." He says finally. "Looking out for my best friend."

From:

spd_blue

Maybe. But Sky never thought of it as putting up with Bridge. If anything, they put up with each other, so it didn't really count. And he wouldn't change Bridge for anything in the world. Yes, okay, it was annoying sometimes...but heaven forbid anyone other the B Squad say so.

In all honesty, Sky had always been a little shocked that Bridge didn't already know how he felt abut him, considering his powers. Or if he did, was he just humoring him for the sake of their friendship? Not that he wanted to know the answer.

"Okay Bridge," Sky said with another sigh, giving in. He had come all the way to Japan to find him, and even with everything, he was glad to see him. "And it's still not putting up with you. Though...did you really have to bring Jack with you?" Dealing with all of this was easier with Bridge because they knew each other so well. Jack...that was a whole other story.

From:

handstandsfortruth

Well, at least he caved. Bridge grins and claps Sky on the shoulder, then marches off towards where he and Jack found lodging, hoping Sky is following him.

"Well, if you have a problem with that, you're gonna have to take it up with the commander." Bridge says conversationally. "I mean, as soon as I found out you were gone, I went to see why you'd left, plus where you had gone, and even if they weren't orders I'd probably have come, because really, if you think you could just run away from me to the other side of the planet, you were sorely mistaken, but," He pauses for breath, and to turn around a flash Sky a grin. "It was an order after all. So it all worked out!"

From:

spd_blue

Sky had caved didn't he? So of course he was going to follow Bridge. He couldn't say it, but he projected his thoughts of gratefulness at Bridge following him to Japan, so that his teammate could feel it.

"So, Crugar ordered you both to follow me. Makes me wonder why he offered it as solo mission in the first place." Or the Commander knew his Rangers far better then he let on and predicted this. It wouldn't be the first time that big blue dog had shown some scary foresight.

From:

handstandsfortruth

"Did he?" That was news to Bridge. He shrugs and gives Sky a pat on the arm. "I dunno. But the big blue dog is pretty insightful, you know? I bet he figured you might need back up, that's all. Not that you're incapable or anything, I don't mean that and I'm sure he didn't either. But it never hurts to have more than one person on the scene, right? Just in case?"

From:

spd_blue

"He's scary when he does that." Sky nodded in agreement, the corner of his mouth quirking as Bridge said out loud what he'd called Crugar in his head. "And it is pretty common knowledge that the one thing I'm not good at is language." It didn't even bother him anymore, the language thing, because Bridge had always been around to help him.

From:

handstandsfortruth

"I figure that's why he's the commander." Bridge says seriously, nodding. "I mean, he's been doing this a long longer than we have, right?" He grins and nudges Sky's arm with his own. "That's why you need me around. I might cheat, but most of the learning I did on my own, I swear. I only do a bit of... you know... extra prodding when I'm out of my depth. Which isn't all the time!"

From:

spd_blue

"Still kinda creepy." Especially when the Commander and Kat went at each other, having two different conversations at once: one with the Rangers and another just between the two of them.

Then he chuckles and nudges Bridge back. "I know you learned it on your own. We took the same language courses. Except you came out understanding it and I didn't."

From:

handstandsfortruth

"Oh, most definitely, but I mean, are we really ones to talk about creepy? I mean, it's not like he actually has any kind of precognition, that would be ridiculous." And something that's usually Bridge's forte, though he hasn't had any precognitive dreams in a while.

Thankfully. They tend to be disturbing, sometimes painful, a little scary, and tends to get him nothing but a lot of disbelief from the people closest to him. Not the best combination, to say the least.

"Some people just don't have a mind for languages. It's not your fault."

From:

spd_blue

"He may not have precognition but he sure knows us better then I'd like to admit." It happened more then Sky would like to admit, where it was proven that Crugar could guess their moves and reactions to things. Almost as much as he yelled at them.

Sky would second that thankful. He never liked it when Bridge had bad dreams, whether he believed they would come true or not. The 'dream fighting' was still a bit hard to believe.

"Like right now, he would use this as a way to stress teamwork."

From:

handstandsfortruth

"I hope he's not precognitive." Bridge muses suddenly. "I mean, he can't be for real, right? That would be awful, if he knew what was going to happen and never told us?" He stares up at Sky for a moment with wide eyes, then shakes his head. "No way. He's just experienced. And he's known us since we were young. That probably accounts for it."

He chuckles at that, and slips an arm around Sky's waist. He'd go for the shoulders, but it can be a bit of a strain, and he prefers not to let his sleeve ruck up that much, just in case. "Well, maybe he doesn't know us as well as he thinks then. We've got the teamwork thing down pat, right?"

From:

spd_blue

That was basically what Sky had just said and he was unable to help a small look of fond exasperation at the Bridge version. "That has to be it."

When the arm went around Sky's waist, he froze for a split second. Not at the touch, he was used to Bridge's random embraces. For a guy whose powers discouraged touch, he liked to touch people. No, it was the teamwork comment. And there really was only one way to answer without negating the conversation back to the beginning, even if Bridge didn't mean what Sky hoped he did. "Yeah...yeah we do."

From:

handstandsfortruth

Bridge grins as Sky's obvious, if subdued exasperation. That's the Sky he knows and loves.

He notices Sky's brief hesitation there too, and reluctantly pulls his arm back, misconstruing Sky's discomfort. "Let's get back to where we're staying, alright? Then we can sit down with Jack and discuss a plan of attack."

From:

spd_blue

Oh right. He still had face Jack. Something Sky was no looking forward too, as he had a feeling that it would go drastically different then it had with Bridge. But, he owed it to Bridge and the rest of the team to work it out with the Red Ranger, for better or for worse.

"Alright. Where are you staying anyway and how long have you been here?"